Getting Better

I am happy to report that everyone is starting to feel better today, or so I think.  We haven't had any throwing up, but Lindsey is still very dehydrated and her stomach muscles are sore.  All I have been doing today is cleaning up, slowly.  Logan tried to stay home from school this morning, big surprise.  First, he said that he didn't have school.....uh, not true.  Was I supposed to take his word for it?  Then he said that he didn't feel well, but he looked fine, didn't have a temperature and he wasn't pale at all.  I told him that this is a virus that will keep him out of school for at least a couple of days, so he can't miss unless he's truly sick.  If he really does get sick, he'll need his sick days.  He called me from school twice saying that he didn't feel well.  The school nurse told me that she didn't think that I needed to pick him up, he looked fine.  He'll be home in about an hour, we'll see if he's really sick once it's time to play outside! 

The only other thing that I have done today is call Comcast for a third time because they are morons and can't seem to understand the problem that we are having with our cable.  It's really very simple, we are supposed to get some channels and we aren't.  One guy tried to get me to call TiVo about the message on the screen that clearly stated "Call Comcast, your cable provider."  Finally I spoke with someone with half of a brain, they are sending someone out between now and next Thursday to take a look at it.  (That's from John Caparulo, Vince Vaughn's Wild West Comedy Tour.) 

I look forward to the day when I can write about more than just sickness, as are you, I'm sure. 

Here's the Word of the Day, it's a cute one:

cosset \KOSS-it\, verb:
1. To treat as a pet; to treat with excessive indulgence; to pamper.
noun:
1. A pet, especially a pet lamb.

The Stomach Flu-Day 3

The kids are still throwing up.  That's all I have to say about today.  It's awful.

Actually, I do have one thing to say that doesn't have anything to do with throwing up.  I was driving home from the grocery store (getting more Pedialyte and Sprite) and Madonna's "Get into the Groove" was on the radio.  The song played after Madonna was "She Loves You" by the Beatles.  What the hell is that all about?  Since when is it ok to put Madonna on the oldies station?  Then after they were finished playing the Beatles they played that song "Spirit in the Sky," which is an awesome song, but after Madonna?  I am so confused!  I love the words to that "Spirit in the Sky" song.  If all songs about Jesus were that cool, I would be hooked.  The guitar is awesome and the words are so simple, almost silly.  "When they lay me down to the rest I'm gonna go to the place that's the best." Awesome.

Here's the Word of the Day:

rubicund \ROO-bih-kund\, adjective:
Inclining to redness; ruddy; red.

The men are second cousins, around forty, resembling each other not very much, one taller and leaner, less rubicund than the other, who has just returned from California.
-- John Lukacs, A Thread of Years

The Upside

Tomorrow morning I’m taking Brea, Audrey, and Beckham to the airport and although it’s been a great visit, I am sure that they are ready to get away from this house ASAP since I’ve been cleaning up vomit for two days now.  Carson was the first to get sick; he started throwing up yesterday morning.  Then around 2:30 in the morning Dylan started throwing up.  Dylan had a pretty good day though; he only got sick twice whereas poor Carson threw up until this evening.  Right around dinner time Lindsey started complaining about not feeling well and now she’s throwing up.  I washed my sheets yesterday and then again today because they kept getting barfed on.  Between the towels and the sheets, I think I will finally catch up on the laundry in a couple of months.  I am so exhausted and haven’t felt great myself, but I am remembering that it could be worse.  We could all be throwing up and we’re not—that’s the upside and the one thing making me feel better.    

Lindsey went to the mall today with Brea; I know she had a great time.  They had lunch and played in the play place.   Brea bought her a pair of jeggings and a cute floral tank top; she looks adorable in them.  She also surprised Logan with a pair of basketball shorts; he loves them because they’re Georgia Tech colors.  She also got Carson and Dylan the cutest little Georgia Tech baseball caps for their birthday.  Dylan wore it for about an hour after she gave it to him.  Brea also brought me the cutest surprise from London…..King Henry the VIII and his six wives chocolates.  Lindsey begged me all day to eat the King Henry and I let her.  I think we finished off Catherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn too. 

I know that so much more has happened during this trip and that we’ve had so many fun moments.  I have so many cute stories to share, but unfortunately when something like this happens, it just drains me and I just don’t have a creative or funny bone left in my body!  Being a mom is the best job on Earth, but it is definitely exhausting when everyone is sick.  I feel so sorry for my kids and it’s emotionally exhausting watching them feel so miserable.  I wish I could snap my fingers and have a genie by my side to do all of the laundry and make the meals so I could just take care of the kids, but moms have to be their own genies. 

Here's your Word of the Day:

halcyon \HAL-see-uhn\, noun:

1. A kingfisher.
2. A mythical bird, identified with the kingfisher, that was fabled to nest at sea about the time of the winter solstice and to calm the waves during incubation.

adjective:
1. Calm; quiet; peaceful; undisturbed; happy; as, "deep, halcyon repose."
2. Marked by peace and prosperity; as, "halcyon years."

The Toilet Mishap

So I ended yesterday by saying that we had a toilet mishap two nights ago, but I was too tired to talk about it.  Someone went to the bathroom around midnight and when they flushed it, water started pouring out by the gallon until we turned the water off.  Don was downstairs and ran up to see what was going on because water was pouring out of the ceiling in the living room.  It was awful.  I was standing in an inch and a half of water and freaking out.   I forgot where the water knob was because I panicked, and I guess my first instinct was to lift off the back of the toilet and hold some kind of spout to make it stop.  Once I calmed down I remembered that the knob to the water was on the bottom.  I know, I am an idiot, but I was panicking!  I have already scheduled someone to clean the carpet and we're going to have to fix a little bit of the ceiling where the water leaked.  Like we really needed something like THAT to happen this week?  Just like our mamas always say "When it rains, it pours."  I just wish it weren't so literal this time; pouring toilet water?  Ewwww.

Yesterday we had another picnic at the playground and came home and took naps.  Later we had dinner and dessert….Brea’s favorite, Publix Key Lime Pie.  They don’t have Publix in Ohio, so she was very excited.  We planned on watching a movie, but we were too tired. 

This morning I woke up to Carson throwing up.  We had plans to take the kids to play at McDonald’s and to visit Brea and Don’s grandma, but Carson, Lindsey, Dylan and I stayed behind.  I also wanted to work out, but sick babies come first, of course.  Logan, Beckham, Audrey and Brea have left and the rest of us are just hanging out at the house.  Lindsey was coloring with the boys while I was on the phone with Comcast and Carson decided to curl up on the couch and take a nap.  Poor little dude.  I know now how rotten he feels.  He never does that! 

I think the rest of the day we’ll try to chill since the kids feel worn out.  Ha!  The kids feel worn out?  I’m lying; it’s Brea and me too. 

Here’s the Word of the Day:

lexicography \lek-suh-KAH-gruh-fee\, noun:

1. The writing or compiling of dictionaries; the editing or making of dictionaries.
2. The principles and practices applied to writing dictionaries.

Gimme the Thin Mints!

Lindsey has been selling Girl Scout cookies, so I thought that this was funny; it’s about two girls getting into a fight over Thin Mints.  I’d site it, but someone emailed it to me and I’m not sure which paper it’s from.  I know that Thin Mints are delicious, but seriously?  I can see it now on Maury Povich.  "I'm a THOUSAND percent sho B!%@# Stoled my Thin Mints!"  Is that wrong?  Should I not have said that?  Oops.

NAPLES, Fla. — Police say a brawl between roommates over Girl Scout cookies led to assault charges against one of them. According to the Naples Daily News, the Collier County Sheriff's Office reports that 31-year-old Hersha Howard woke up her roommate early Sunday and accused her of eating her Thin Mints.

They argued and deputies say that it turned physical with Howard chasing her roommate with scissors and hitting her repeatedly with a board and then a sign.

Police say the roommate's husband tried to separate them. The roommate said she gave the cookies to Howard's children.

Howard is charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. She was released Monday on $10,000 bail.

A telephone listing for Howard could not be immediately found.

Here’s your Word of the Day, and it SO suits me today!  Lots has happened, including a toilet mishap, but I really should write about it tomorrow. 

hypnagogic \hip-nuh-GOJ-ik; -GOH-jik\, adjective:

Of, pertaining to, or occurring in the state of drowsiness preceding sleep.

Six Kids, Smooth Sailing

Last night I picked Brea, Audrey, and Beckham up from the airport.  Brea looked like a pro with the two kids; I was very impressed.  She managed to get all of their things into one bag (I’ve never done that) and she made it look like flying with toddlers was simple!  I know for a fact that there is nothing more stressful that you can do than to fly with little kids.

The kids are playing really well together.  The babies love Beckham, Beckham loves the big kids, and Lindsey loves the baby girl.  Carson and Beckham seemed to bond immediately, it was really obvious.  Beckham snuggled on top of Carson and said “I love you.”  Really, other than Lindsey beating Logan up today, I’d say it’s a pretty peaceful house considering the fact that there are six children under the roof.  Brea and I are having a great time with each other and it’s awesome seeing the kids interact.

We woke up and fed everyone but Logan breakfast, because he was sleeping until right before we left to have brunch with Libbie.  At the restaurant a man actually asked me “Whose are all of those kids?”  I explained that 4 of them were mine and that two were Brea’s.  He said that he had one baby, which explained the snickers and amazement in his eyes.  We did look like a circus, especially at our next stop.  After breakfast we had to stop next door to do some light grocery shopping.  Um, it took three carts.  The twin babies were in the cart with the steering wheels, but then we had to take Dylan out and put him in a separate cart because he was climbing out and Beckham wanted one of the steering wheels.  So Logan is pushing Dylan, Lindsey is pushing Audrey, and I am pushing Carson and Beckham.  A lady walked by us and I heard her say to the person on the other end of her cell phone “It’s SO loud in here!”  I wanted to turn around and say “If you want silence, go to the library!”  But I didn’t.  It made me angry because the kids weren’t even being loud, they were all entertained with the cookies we had just given them, and she said it so loud and looked at me when she said it.  Geez!  Sorry you have to share this planet with children, lady.  We’re only creating the next generation of the population so that the human race doesn’t become extinct.   

After another visit with Libbie, we went home for a nap.  Immediately we got all of the kids to go to sleep and they napped for a couple of hours.  Brea and I rested, thankfully.  When we got up I made lasagna for later and we gave the kids a snack.  Then I took Beckham, Carson, and Dylan to the playground while Brea and Audrey took Lindsey to dance.  Logan left to have some man-time with his dad.  The boys were angels at the park and when we got back to the house I gave them their second bath of the day.  Then we all had dinner, cleaned the kids up, and put them to bed. 

I think that Brea and I are completely exhausted, but that's not a new thing. We were talking last night about how tired we are at night, and I have to say that I am glad I’m not alone.  I told her that it really sucks when you wake up from sleeping and look at a clock that says “9:30.”  It’s 9:26 as I write this, so I guess I’m doing alright tonight! 

For having six kids in a house, I would say that we are managing it extremely well.  We're short a seat in my mini-van, Brea has to sit on the floor, but we’re doing alright other than that! 

Here’s the Word of the Day:

nimbus \NIM-buhs\, noun:

1. (Fine Arts) A circle, or disk, or any indication of radiant light around the heads of divinities, saints, and sovereigns, upon medals, pictures, etc.; a halo.
2. A cloud or atmosphere (as of romance or glamour) that surrounds a person or thing.
3. (Meteorology) A rain cloud.

And check out this link.  Is this not the scariest looking thing you've ever seen?  My brother-in-law sent this to me.......

http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2011/02/21/327-pound-dinosaur-fish-caught-swimming-mississippi/

Pain in the Neck and Fate

Last night while I was making dinner I started noticing a pain in my neck….and sure enough, I turned around and it was Logan.  I’m totally kidding.  I literally felt a pain in my neck and knew that I had done something to it while working out and I started to dread the inevitable pain.   I did chin dips and pull-ups yesterday at the gym and I hadn’t done them in about a week because I was sick.  This morning around 5:00 I woke up to get Dylan because he was crying and I couldn’t turn my head to the left.  I could force it, but it was extremely painful.  Isn’t that the worst muscle to pull?  According to the little boy in “Jerry Maguire” the human head weighs 8 pounds and that’s a lot of weight to carry around on a sore muscle!  I tried for about 30 minutes to get the muscle to stretch out.  I went to Pilates, suffered through it, and it’s finally starting to feel better. 

The kids are home from school this week, they are on winter break, and I promised to take them on a picnic today.  I also have some errands to run and I have to clean the house because we’re having company.  Brea and her two little ones are staying with us this week.  I am really excited to see them.  I haven’t even met Audrey yet, so that tells you how often I get to see Brea.  We’re going to have six kids running around, 4 under the age of 4.  I’m sure that I’ll have lots to write about, just not during the visit! 

I sometimes forget that Brea is Don’s cousin and not just my friend of 15 years.  She’s my family and our kids share the same blood.  That’s crazy!  I guess I’ve gotten used to the fact that Don’s grandparents were at my graduation party (because Brea and I had a combined party) and that I saw a picture of Peyton when I was a junior in high school, years before I met him.  I forget that Don dropped me off at his parent’s house, where I was staying, after our first date—if you can call it that, we kind of just wound up together because we clicked immediately.  He pulled out his key and let me in their front door.  It was so amazing at the time and it still is when I think about it, but it’s also so normal now.  When I stop to think about Brea and everything that happened I’m so incredibly thankful that everything happened the way that it did.  I sometimes wonder— if one little thing had been different, would it have changed the outcome?  One of my all-time favorite movies is “Serendipity” and I think it’s because I have always believed in fate or wondered if it exists.  I know that fate’s hard to comprehend because we were given free will, but why do things have a way of working out then, even in tragedy?  Even the most tragic situation can be learned from, so maybe that’s fate.  I like this idea because fate gives everything purpose.  If you don’t believe in fate and you believe instead that everything is a series of random events, I think you struggle sometimes to find meaning.  I love Greek tragedies because even though they are sad, they believe that you can’t escape your destiny.   There’s something intriguing about that.  Or maybe it’s like Forrest Gump says, that our paths are directed by fate and we’re like feathers floating around randomly.  Maybe fate steps in where we mess up.  Or you can believe that even our decisions were part of the plan and we just think that we can control things….like Oedipus Rex.  He struggled with the prophecy, tried to change it, in the end he did exactly what the prophecy said he would do.  I don’t’ know the answer, but I love trying to figure it out!

Here’s the Word of the Day: 

bailiwick \BAY-luh-wik\, noun:

1. A person's specific area of knowledge, authority, interest, skill, or work.
2. The office or district of a bailiff.

Feminism Explained

My sister-in-law sent me something funny last week and I wanted to post it immediately, but I realized that I would have too much to say about it and I haven’t had sufficient time to dedicate to jotting down my thoughts on the matter.  Now I realize that having no time is the perfect time to post the link because I am so limited on time.  To all of those women out there claiming to care about other women, the same ones who slam women (me) for staying at home, the ones out there that make themselves feel better by believing that I “do nothing” and “eat bonbons” all day…..this is for you.  I’m sorry that the feminist movement isn’t what it should be, a movement to allow women to decide what’s best for them and their family.  I’m sorry that it isn’t what they say it is, because I have been on both sides.  I have been a working mother and now I stay at home with my kids and I judge no one for what they choose to do because it’s their personal decision and neither decision makes a woman unfit.  (Isn’t that what we’re supposed to do?)  When I was in school full-time and worked the women who stayed at home felt sorry for my kids, which is ridiculous and judgmental.   Now that I’m home I have certain friends who make snide comments about me staying at home and think that I don’t notice that they are trying to put me down.  Why are women always tearing each other apart?  Being vicious to someone else doesn’t make you any happier, so why do women do it?  I know a lot of men who are bigger supporters of women than most women.  To all of the mothers out there working, I am right behind you.  It is hard balancing work and family and I admire the work you do every day.  The truth is, everything is a trade-off.  There are pros and cons to working and pros and cons to staying at home.  Women who have jobs struggle in ways that women who stay at home don’t, and vice versa.  We should all respect each other and support each other. 

Like I said, I am limited on time.  I have to get back to my soap operas.  Ok, I’ll try not being a smartass.    

Here’s the link.  I focused more on what makes me angry, I didn't talk about everything in this little video.  You can agree or disagree with it, I thought it was funny: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05ro6fcj6Ek

Word of the Day

inkhorn \INK-horn\, adjective:

1. Affectedly or ostentatiously learned; pedantic.

noun:
1. A small bottle of horn or other material formerly used for holding ink.

I Hate the Grocery Store!

I woke up this morning and did the usual Sunday thing—went downstairs, made breakfast for the fam, had coffee, and then got everyone ready for church.  We made it to church ON TIME this morning; we only had to start getting ready two and a half hours before it started!  When we got home I attempted to put the boys down for a nap, but it wasn’t happening.  The only reason that they ended up napping was because I laid down with them….in my bed.  Once they woke up we had a snack and headed off to the grocery store. 

I despise the grocery store, at least today I do.  Today I was reminded of how awful grocery shopping was with Logan and Lindsey and now that the boys are almost two I think that I will attempt to leave them home from now on.  When Logan and Lindsey were little the grocery stores didn’t have the double seated carts with the cute little steering wheels.  They had normal carts and my only option when they were infants was to pull the cart and push the double stroller or not go at all.  Usually I chose the latter.  When they were toddlers I would bury one of them in the cart with groceries and the other sat in the seat where normal people put their purses.  It was still a nightmare because Logan or Lindsey would toss the groceries out, open the packages and eat the contents, and they usually screamed the entire time and I knew that the whole store wanted to strangle them. 

Shopping with Carson and Dylan has been so much better than it was with Logan and Lindsey.  In fact, they have been absolute angels until just recently.  Today was a nightmare and I stood in the pasta aisle debating whether to leave some poor soul to put my basket of groceries away while I fled the scene.   You see, Carson and Dylan do something that the older twins never did.  They climb out of everything.  It doesn’t seem to matter how tight the buckle is, they can find a way out.  So picture this for a moment…..Lindsey (my cart pusher) has to go to the bathroom.  I tell her to go while I shop down the pasta aisle.  By the time she gets back both boys are screaming at the top of their lungs, standing in the cart, yelling “Mama” and holding their arms out for me to hold them both.  I had tried to put Dylan in the basket and he ended up throwing groceries out of the cart and as soon as I had to pick Carson up because he was so loud, I guess Dylan didn’t want to be left out.  I kept trying to make them sit and tried buckling them, but they got louder and louder.  There was a man giving me dirty looks by the canned tomatoes and had I not been to church this morning I probably would have retaliated with some comment about how men suck and they couldn’t handle what I do on a daily basis…..glad I went to church.  When Lindsey got back we ran to the cookie aisle and opened a package of cookies to shut them up.  I still ended up carrying Carson the entire time, but it wasn’t bad because Lindsey pushed the cart and Dylan was happy with the treats we were bribing him with.  I know that’s bad, but sometimes you have to do what you have to do. 

I love my sweet little baby boys and I love being with them so much every day, but I will be honest…..I could never have another set.  I would probably end up in a psych ward!  In fact, this is probably not even written very well and probably hard to understand, but I am brain-fried at this point. 

malinger \muh-LING-guhr\, intransitive verb:

To feign or exaggerate illness or inability in order to avoid duty or work.

Bucket List

I made a bucket list a couple of years ago.  Number 82 is “Shout a profanity in a public, quiet place.”  I don’t know where this started, but I think it was when I was a little girl.  I used to think “What if I yelled this right now?”  It was usually in class when it was extremely quiet or at the library.  Personally, I think that everyone thinks this and I am not unique…...right?  Today at the gym I was on the elliptical and “Stayin’ Alive” came on.  I thought to myself “What would happen if I squealed the Bee Gees right now?”  I think that screeching “Stayin’ aliiiiiiiiiive” at the gym would be equally profane and I could have crossed it off my list, but I passed for reason of sanity.

Just for fun, I have decided to post my bucket list.  It’s long and mostly ridiculous, but for those of you who are interested and read it, I hope it inspires you to make one yourselves.  Reading it makes me think of the things that I have accomplished and experienced up to this point and that’s why the list is so ridiculous—that’s a good thing.  The truth is, I could do none of these things and I would be happy if God took me today.  Well, I hope that he doesn’t for many reasons, but I would die a happy person who felt fulfilled. 

Here's the word of the day:

lucubration \loo-kyoo-BRAY-shun; loo-kuh-\, noun:

1. The act of studying by candlelight; nocturnal study; meditation.
2. That which is composed by night; that which is produced by meditation in retirement; hence (loosely) any literary composition.

Brittany's Bucket List

1)  Travel through Italy

2)   Learn Italian

3)   Take more Art History courses, for fun

4)   Read all of the books on my list, "1001 books to read before I die"

5)   Learn how to play tennis

6)   Take a trip with Lindsey to Paris

7)   Go on a missionary trip

8)   Become a grandma

9)   Publish at least one children's book

10)  Learn French

11)  Learn how to garden

12)  Go to England and France

13)  Have a beer in Ireland

14)  Learn about antiques

15)  Explore Georgia

16)  Publish a novel or screenplay

17) Play the violin again

18) Take piano lessons

19) Read the Bible front to back

20) Teach my kids to love God, Send them to college (This is a big one!)

21) Learn how to cook Asian food

22) Visit Napa valley

23) Kiss a Greek statue

24) Own a golden retriever named Brinkley

25) Stay married until the day I die……Lindsey, you can check this one off for me.

26) Go camping with the kids in the mountains

27) Eat Japanese food in Japan and feel tall for once in my life

28) Open a boutique or children's book store

29) Swim with dolphins

30) Take a dance class with don

31) Visit the Louvre

32) Have a caricature done of me and the family

33) Organize all of my favorite photos in big leather bound photo books

34) Spread a rumor about a celebrity and see if it comes back to me

35) Take a pebble from the coliseum

36) Learn how to read music

37) Take a photography class

38) Take an art class

39) Take a cruise

40) Have a picnic in the Alps

41) Watch every episode of Sex and the City in order

42) Host thanksgiving dinner, make the turkey

43) Collect the rest of our wedding china

44) Plant a Chenault family tree in the backyard

45) Dance in a fountain

46) See an opera

47) This one is private.  Heehee.

48) Collect tea pots

49) Work for a NPO

50) Own a wine cellar

51)  Start a blog

52) Donate my hair to Locks of Love

53) Ride in a car going over 100 mph

54) Plant my own sunflowers

55) Visit the bars in Nashville

56) Make giant scrapbooks for the kids when they graduate from high school

57) Take a French cooking class

58) Journal for at least one year straight

59) Two words: French Polynesia

60) ONE time (at least) have all of my siblings in one place with me

61) Raise money for a cancer walk

62) Hike a mountain, small one is fine

63) Go rock climbing again

64) Take Lindsey to see the Rockettes

65) Take Lindsey to the ballet

66) Go to New Orleans

67) Try caviar….I just threw up in my mouth

68) Start a family tradition

69) Blindfold don, take him somewhere cool

70) Tour a castle

71)     Read “Moby Dick”-also coincides with the reading list

72)     Buy a star for each of the kids (Have for the babies)

73)     See the 7 wonders of the world

74)     Become a librarian when I’m old

75)     See the Northern lights

76)     Take an etiquette class with Lindsey

77)      Set Bill up with his soul mate

78)      Knit a scarf

79)      Make Libbie’s cheesecake for Libbie

80)      Pay off our house (or a future house)

81)      Start my own NPO

82)      Shout a profanity in a quiet, public place

83)      Dress up as a cowgirl

84)      Take Salsa dancing lessons

85)       Drive over the London Bridge

86)      Climb the Eiffel Tower

87)       Visit the Margaret Mitchell house

88)       Swim in Mykonos

89)       Live in another country for a summer

90)       Do something helpful for five people anonymously

91)       Learn sign language

92)       Understand Einstein’s Theory of Relativity

93)       Visit a concentration camp

94)       Take the kids to DC

95)       Donate to my favorite charity

96)       Rock babies who are addicted to crack

97)       Coach Lindsey’s cheerleading squad

98)       Volunteer to be Team Mom each of the boys’ football teams

99)       Be ROOM mom for each of the kids at least one year

100)    go canoeing

101)    write a letter to each of my children and Don expressing how important they are to me, should anything happen to me

102)    See U2, Coldplay, the Stones, and Aerosmith in concert

103)    Work as a reporter

Terrorists in Chile???

I am beginning to think that I should start writing my dreams down so that they can be turned into movies or something.  Last week I had that bizarre plant/terrorist dream and because of that I am almost afraid to say what I dreamed about last night because whoever is reading is going to think that I am crazy.  Last night I dreamed that I went to Chile for vacation and had a bad feeling about going.  I only went because it was free; I won the trip in a contest.  I went with two people, but I don’t remember who, I don’t think that they were people I know in real life.  As soon as I got to the resort, which were rows of fancy rafts, terrorists started attacking us.  They were running around with guns and demanding everyone’s belongings.  I remember throwing my diaper bag at them and thinking “There’s nothing in there but wipes, diapers, and trash!  I didn’t bring anything expensive!”  One of the terrorists threw candy wrappers back at me and held the gun up to my face and yelled at me for not having anything expensive and I thought she (yes, a girl terrorist) was going to shoot me.   She threw the bag back at me and as soon as the terrorists took anything worth value, they left.  Well, the dream was very long and now I can’t remember all of the details, but I somehow helped the government capture the terrorists and we disarmed them completely.  At the end of the dream I was at dinner with one of the people I went on the trip with; all of a sudden it was a girl I recognized in real life and I told her that I really didn’t like her because she only went after married guys.  Don’t even ask me what I smoke before bed, because I assure you, I don’t do anything to alter my mind…..ever.  I think that I watch the news too much.  I have strange dreams almost every night and they are so vivid that I feel like I don’t sleep even when I do.  I hope that dreams don't mean anything.  If they do, maybe I want to we Wonderwoman or something?  But who wouldn't want to be Wonderwoman? 

This morning we had breakfast and I just did that thing that we all love so much-paid the bills, a typical Friday morning.  I think we’re going to take advantage of the beautiful weather again today and I am heading off to the gym in a little bit.   

Here's a picture of Carson yesterday with strawberries all over his face. Below it is Dylan with his soccer ball.  FYI....we are "mailing" the pacifiers to Elmo next month.  No more paci's; I am taking them away! Carson is the only one who likes the idea.  Dylan shakes his head no.  Carson says "Melmo" and hands it to me.  He says that Elmo's a baby and that he is a big boy now. He's even sitting on the potty now!  Carson is eager to be "big" and Dylan seems content with walking around with Mr. Bear and his paci.

Today’s Word of the Day cracks me up.  There’s actually a word in the dictionary for “pouring one for my homies.” 

libation \ly-BAY-shun\, noun:

1. The act of pouring a liquid (usually wine) either on the ground or on a victim in sacrifice to some deity; also, the wine or liquid thus poured out.
2. A beverage, especially an alcoholic beverage.
3. An act or instance of drinking.

Lost in Lost

I have officially put myself on “Lost” restriction; only one episode a day.  This show is seriously addictive.  I was able to watch it in every room since I was watching it on Netflix which didn’t help things!  I could pause where I was, go to the kitchen to fix a meal, and watch where I had left off!  How sick is that?  I’m done now for a while.  My brain is turning into glue.

The weather is beautiful and I am feeling better, so I got outside as soon as the strange fog that I woke up to lifted. It looked cold outside but it’s like 75 degrees and gorgeous. 

I am listening to Carson scream right now.  He’s angry because he wanted to play outside for another three hours and I’m making him take a nap.  We went to the playground, ate lunch out back on our bistro table, and we played in the yard for another hour or so.  He got a scratch on his knee from falling on the pavement and he’s blaming it on the kitty.  Whenever Carson gets hurt he points at the evidence and says “Cat.”  Then he babbles for a long time about what happened.  This time he fell, it was not from the cat.  I am trying to teach him to say that he fell, but he’s not saying it yet. 

Last night Logan went to the Georgia Tech basketball game and was picked to be the tip-off boy.  He was on the big screen!  He came home and told me that it was awesome being picked, but that his stage fright kicked in as soon as he got down there in front of all of those people.  Two weeks ago he told me that he didn’t want me to come to his music class performance because he feels sick when he has to sing in front of people, especially family.  And last night he was in front of hundreds of people?  I would have loved to have been there! 

Logan’s the opposite of Lindsey.  Lindsey gets extremely angry if she doesn’t get picked for the Jumbotron at Braves games where there are thousands of people in the stands.  She tries so hard to get the camera’s attention and when she doesn’t get picked she feels offended.  (Of course, this was three years ago.)  Logan and Lindsey are night and day. 

Carson is still crying so I guess I’m going to wrap this up.  And it’s only been about 8 minutes, for those of you feeling sorry for him.  If there are typos or grammatical errors, blame the little man!

Now this is just bizarre.  Look at the word.  Could this be used to describe Carson right now?

ululate \UL-yuh-layt; YOOL-\, intransitive verb:

To howl, as a dog or a wolf; to wail; as, ululating jackals.

Lost

I’ve been sick and I decided that I needed something to watch on Netflix.  I realize that I am the last person on Earth who probably has never seen “Lost” but I don’t give in to hype, and there was a lot of hype about this show.  There was so much hype about it when it was on air I was like “Ughhhh, shut up about Lost!  How good can it be?” I never watched a lot of TV anyway and don’t like coming in late to a show.   I also thought that they would run out of things to write, didn’t understand how they’d bring in new characters, etc.  I understand now that it truly is a great show and that this is not your average atoll!  I am hooked!  I am addicted!  And I know absolutely nothing about it, so those of you who have seen it all the way through, don’t tell me anything.  I think that the thing I like about it is that they are both literally and metaphorically lost.  They’re lost geographically, but they are all “lost” in their lives, lost people.  They were all on the plane for some strange reason that caused them personal pain and somehow wound up all together.  Either that’s a coincidence, or that’s how it would really be.  Maybe we all have things going on in our lives that could be TV material?  Hopefully not.  There are also a lot of religious undertones in the show too that I like picking out.  It’s very well-written and I am surprised that I like it so much.  (7 years later.) What a loser I am.  Get with the program, Brittany!

There isn’t much to report except that Claire just came back and they killed the psycho in the jungle.  Sorry about the lack of personal experiences; watching TV is the only thing I did yesterday!  Oh, and I am starting to feel better.  Thank you for all of the "get better" emails!

Here’s the word of the day:

factotum \fak-TOH-tuhm\, noun:

A person employed to do all kinds of work or business.

Lots of Laundry, Little Writing......

I got a little behind on the laundry; it looks like Mount Rushmore.  I have a sore throat, I’m achy, and I am missing Pilates this morning.  We’re all sick…..again. 

Here’s your word of the day, and there is a reason that I have never heard this word before….because it doesn't exist. HA!  I crack myself up. 

uxorious \uk-SOR-ee-us; ug-ZOR-\, adjective:

Excessively fond of or submissive to a wife.

Happy Valentine's Day!

I am really exhausted this morning so I will keep this short.  We had a great weekend with Peyton.  We went to Fuddrucker’s for my father-in-law’s birthday on Saturday, went to the park and took a nice walk, and just hung around the house the majority of the time.  Lindsey went to the ballet with her Uncle Bill, furthering her desire to become a ballerina.  She told me this morning that there’s nothing she wants more. 

Yesterday I actually took a nap and it was awesome!  I never take naps unless I’m sick!  It was strange though waking up and realizing that I had slept for two whole hours and not been uninterrupted—that doesn’t even happen at night!  I felt confused about what time it was and I pretty much had to leave to take Peyton back to Birmingham as soon as I woke up.  I made decent time last night, but I am still tired this morning.    

I hope that everyone has a great Valentine’s Day.  Lindsey is excited because she is getting a haircut after school; she wants face-framing layers.  She wants wispy pieces to fall when she has a ponytail, like her mommy.  As for the rest of the day, I’ll probably go to dinner with Don and I got the movie “Valentine’s Day” on Netflix and plan on watching it at some point.  Once I send this movie back I am returning to 90210; I left off on Season 6.  Of course I’ve seen all of them, but never in order.  I was a kid and had to go to bed and had to cheer some nights—that was before TiVo.  I’m trying to see every single episode!

For anyone interested in what Valentine’s Day is all about and does not know, here’s the link to Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valentine's_Day

inveigle \in-VAY-guhl; -VEE-\, transitive verb:

1. To persuade by ingenuity or flattery; to entice.
2. To obtain by ingenuity or flattery.

Is That Your Thong Showin' or Some Diamonds on Your Back?

I was at the gym yesterday and saw a girl bent over the glute machine and the back of her shirt rode up.  I kept trying to get a better look at her, so I’m sure it looked like I was staring at her butt; I assure you I wasn’t!  I have seen many a Tramp Stamp, but never what I saw yesterday.  I saw four diamond studs on her lower back.  That’s a first!  It had to have been two rods going through her skin horizontally because otherwise where would the back of the piercing go if it were four individual diamonds?  Awwwww, that’s so sick.  What in the world was she thinking?  How can that possibly be considered attractive by anyone?  I guess I really shouldn’t even try to have an opinion about piercings or tattoos because I don’t have piercings or tattoos.  And I don’t judge people for having them just because I don’t have them; I just thought that this one in particular was really disgusting.  The funniest part is that she had a sweatshirt with diamond studs all over it just to match! 

I got my belly button pierced my senior year on spring break.  The only reason that I did it is because everyone I was with was mutilating their bodies in one way or another and I wanted to prove that I could bear the pain and that I wasn’t such a goody-goody—pretty stupid reason, looking back on it.  I literally almost passed out watching someone pierce their tongue because they started drooling buckets into a cup and the rod that they used to pierce it was huge!  Anyway, I got it pierced while everyone was sleeping on Saturday morning and I took it out two months later.  This is a good illustration of why I will never get a tattoo.  I get a new shirt and I’m like “Yes!  I love this shirt!  This is the best shirt ever!” But eventually that shirt loses its luster and a new one replaces it.  So based on this information, I should either be exactly how I am….nothing but bare skin, or I could easily wind up looking like Kat Von D.  I don’t think that there’s anything in the world that I could choose to permanently place on my skin that I wouldn’t get sick of because I am constantly changing. 

I guess I’m just a boring person.  If I had to get a tattoo, maybe I would get the cutest little thing on the planet......Brittany the Chippette! I love her.

Here's the word of the day, and it's a terrible one:

buss \BUS\, noun:

1. A kiss; a playful kiss; a smack.

transitive verb:
1. To kiss; especially to kiss with a smack.

Father/Daughter Dance

Last night Lindsey had her Father/Daughter Valentine’s dance; this was her first year in Girl Scouts so they didn’t know what to expect, but they had a great time.  The theme was “A Night in Paris”.  They danced, had refreshments and they got their picture taken together.  Lindsey said that they missed a lot of good songs because they were in line waiting to be drawn, for about an hour.  We paid extra for a sketch artist to draw them so they thought I would get mad if they didn’t get it; the picture turned out really cute, more caricature than a realistic sketch, but really adorable and I’m glad that they waited.  Lindsey was joined to her daddy’s hip once they got home, so I can tell they had a great time.  She was thanking him for taking her and he looked happy that he got the chance to spend some time with her by herself.  That time is really important to kids. Peyton got here last night and it looks like he grew….again.  I wish he would slow down!  I think I’m still about a half-inch taller than he is, but maybe not at this point.  I plan on measuring all of the kids this weekend on the door jam. 

Tonight Lindsey is going to the ballet with her Uncle Bill; they are seeing Sleeping Beauty.  I was with him a couple of nights ago and he said that he didn’t remember the story, so I filled him in on Princess Aurora and the fairy godmothers.  Lindsey has a busy weekend.  The boys and I will probably just hang out around the house, go to the park since it’s supposed to be beautiful, and I will maybe do some chores.  I am definitely doing some cardio this morning since I missed the gym yesterday.  I begin to feel like a caged animal if I don’t work out.  I guess that is a good thing.  The boys (little ones) have been sick the last couple of days. 

Have a great Saturday!  Here's today's word:

risible \RIZ-uh-buhl\, adjective:

1. Capable of laughing; disposed to laugh.
2. Exciting or provoking laughter; worthy of laughter; laughable; amusing.
3. Relating to, connected with, or used in laughter; as, "risible muscles."

Imbroglio

I had the weirdest dream last night.  I had a dream that I was walking around downtown Atlanta and I discovered that a group of terrorists were experimenting with cross-pollination and there were all of these crazy plants growing all over the city.  There were giant cactuses growing out of the sidewalk cracks, and everywhere I looked there were unwieldy plants!  How this would affect us as a nation, I do not know, but in my dream it was apparently a scary situation that would affect us gravely.  I remember that most of the plants they were experimenting with were from Florida and they didn’t mix well with our horticulture.  I have the weirdest, cracked-out dreams.   How does the brain make this stuff up?  I think I may know where at least part of it came from.  Last night I went to the Georgia Tech basketball game (which was downtown) and we played Florida State.  We lost by 12 points, I think, just FYI.  But the terrorists?  Cactuses?  Horticultural warfare?  I don’t know where that came from.  Actually, maybe Kudzu should be our military’s new tactical weapon.  That stuff is crazy!  Maybe I’m on to something!  “Ok, Bin Laden, if you do not cease and desist from all threatening activity we will have no other choice but to plant the feared and burdensome kudzu in your sacred desert land!”  Oh, what’s wrong with me? 

Not only were my dreams weird last night, I also had a bizarre morning.  I was on the phone with Cobb EMC because their website sucks and I always have issues paying online for one reason or another.  So I’m on the phone with the operator and I tell him to hang on because there is a cop at the door.  I know he’s thinking “Oh, what kind of crack addict am I talking to?”  I open the door and the police officer says “Did someone call 911?”  I said no.  He says “Well, someone called 911.  I need to look around the house.”   If it were any other morning I would have understood him being there because the babies do get ahold of the phone occasionally.  However, this morning I don’t know when they would have had a chance because we didn’t play upstairs at all; we went straight downstairs for breakfast.  He looked around the house and asked if anyone was upstairs.  I said no.  He went upstairs to look around and then I said to the operator that I was still on the phone with “I hope he’s really a cop.”  I realized that I didn’t ask to see a badge and I didn’t see a car outside.  I realized that he could have been wearing a $20 Howdy Doody costume and I wouldn’t have known the difference.   I know better than that!  What was I thinking?  I ran over to the window and did see a cop car at the end of the street.  I also heard his radio, which made me feel better. 

That was really stupid of me.  I know better than that!  With all of the movies I watch, all of the Datelines and 20/20, I didn’t even check to see if he was a real cop?  Shame on me! 

I called the security system company just to make sure that there wasn’t something signaling them, but they didn’t dispatch.  It must have been one of the kids.  What an odd day, and it isn’t even 10 am!

imbroglio \im-BROHL-yoh\, noun:

1. A complicated and embarrassing state of things.
2. A confused or complicated disagreement or misunderstanding.
3. An intricate, complicated plot, as of a drama or work of fiction.
4. A confused mass; a tangle.